Djokovic: 'I lost to someone better'

"I lost to someone better," said Djokovic at the post-match press conference. "I know I didn't play well at times, but it happened because he plays tennis at a high level. I made terrible mistakes in the first set, letting him win the second catch game. But in tennis, you learn from your mistakes and failures."

In the semi-finals on March 3, Medvedev took advantage of Nole's mistakes in the first set, winning two games in a row and leading 5-2. Djokovic won two games in a row, but still lost the first set 4-6. The Serbian player once again had to chase in the second set, when he lost the first game of the set. Despite playing vigorously and repeatedly putting Medvedev under pressure, Nole still hung the racket 4-6, 4-6 in the end. In just two sets, Djokovic made 38 self-defeating errors, while Medvedev only made 12 mistakes.

"He always makes the opponent make unnecessary mistakes," Nole added of Medvedev. "That's Medvedev's way of playing. He's patient, has a lot of energy, has a steady backhand and moves well even though he's very high."

For the first time since losing to Felix Auger-Aliassime in the Laver Cup 2022, Djokovic has lost after only two sets. Novak Djokovic's 15-match unbeaten streak since the beginning of the year also ended after the loss to Medvedev. Despite not being able to win the sixth title in Dubai, Djokovic is still satisfied with the progress of his hamstring injury recovery.

"A lot of positive signals," said Djokovic. "I'm satisfied with my current body condition and want to look forward to the next challenge." The next tournament that Nole attends depends on the result of the US visa waiver. Last month, the number one player in the world applied for a special license to play two Masters 1000s at Indian Wells and Miami despite not being vaccinated. Without the exemption, Djokovic will miss two Masters 1000 tournaments in the US and return in Monte Carlo in April. "If I didn't go to the US, I would probably look forward to the clay season," Nole said. "It's the pitch that requires the most preparation."